The Federal Government has released withheld salaries of members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) who threatened to paralyse academic activities on various campuses
The government, which was given a 14-day ultimatum over the implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU Agreement, released eight months out of the salary arrears the workers are being owed
Daily Trust reports that SSANU had demanded the immediate release of funds and full payment of outstanding Consolidated University Teaching and Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTTA) arrears calculated from January 1, 2026
The demands were contained in a communiqué issued after its 56th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, during the weekend
The union had warned that failure by the Federal Government to meet its demand within 14 days would compel the union to resume a “total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action” without further notice
The ultimatum also demanded payment of two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 industrial action and one-year arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases
However, less than 48 hours after the union made its position public, the Federal Government released the eight months’ arrears, averting an imminent disruption of academic activities across Nigerian universities
Confirming the release of the eight months arrears, SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, told journalists that his members would soon start receiving alerts
He described the development as a demonstration that constructive engagement, when matched with prompt action, can protect industrial harmony and workers’ welfare
The labour particularly lauded Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa’s efforts for his intervention and for keeping to his promise to facilitate the release of the funds
Mohammed advised members of the union in their various branches to liaise with the management of their universities to ensure prompt and judicious payment and report back any shortfall
Before the ultimatum was issued, the minister reportedly contacted SSANU’s national president, Ibrahim, to confirm that the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation were processing the funds for release
SSANU said the minister’s proactive engagement, followed by actual release of the arrears, reflected a commendable departure from the usual delay in implementing negotiated agreements
The union, however, urged the Federal Government to sustain this responsive approach in settling all remaining entitlements of university workers
Despite the release of the eight months’ arrears, SSANU maintained that the Federal Government must still settle the outstanding two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 strike and the one-year arrears from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases
The union described the obligations as legitimate entitlements that should not be subjected to further delay
NEC had also called on state governments and governing councils of state-owned universities to ensure full, equitable and properly funded implementation of the agreement, warning that selective or delayed implementation could fuel unrest in the university system
While welcoming the government’s action, SSANU reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and industrial peace
It, however, insisted that it would deploy all lawful and constitutional means to protect the rights, welfare and professional advancement of its members where agreements are not faithfully implemented
The union said the prompt settlement of the arrears had strengthened confidence that constructive engagement between government and university-based unions could deliver tangible results for workers, students and the wider Nigerian University System